2017

Blog Posts in 2017

Employment discrimination laws would not be very effective if employers could simply fire or punish any employee who dared to file a complaint. This is why federal and New York laws prohibit “retaliation” against an employee (or potential employee) who engages in a protected activity, such as filing a discrimination charge with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission or seeking a ...

Is it illegal to hire (or not hire) someone because of his or her appearance? The answer to this question is complicated. Strictly speaking, federal and state anti-discrimination laws do not cover personal appearance. Employers are allowed to enforce dress and appearance codes within certain limits, such as making reasonable accommodation for an employee's religious beliefs. For the most part, ...

Disability discrimination does not simply refer to refusing to hire someone because they have a permanent impairment. It also means that you cannot lose your job simply because you had surgery and require temporary leave to recover. Indeed, it is expressly forbidden under the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) to take an adverse employment action based on a “perceived” disability, i.e. the ...

Many New York employers want their employees to agree to binding arbitration in the event of an employment law dispute, such as a claim for unpaid wages or overtime. While arbitration can be less expensive and time-consuming than traditional litigation, employees often lose valuable legal rights in the process. Among other things, it can be difficult to appeal an arbitration award, the equivalent ...